Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-03-24
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
A Memorial Building 20 Mark the
Place OF Ills Birth--The Historical
Ruins.

Ruins.
Senator Bayard has addressed q commun-
cason TO congress asking an additional APP
preparation Of 90 900 TO carry out the provis'
ions OF tho resolutions OF June II, 1870 and
Feb 20, 1881, approprRtlng $4,000 for the
erection OF II memorial building on the site Of
the birth place of George Washington, In
Westmoreland county Virginia, at the conilu-
ence of BRIDGES creek aud the Potomac river
In the autumn Of 1879 Mr., Evarts, tho secre-
tary Of state, In compliance with the original
resolutions, visited the spot. about seventy
miles below Washington, on the United states
steamer Tallapoosa. Among the friends ac'
campaigning him was tho late G. Q. Perkins,
the distinguished art critic aud author, OF
Boston, who met with the fatal accident while
driving with Mr. Evnrts at his country seat
last summer, MI. Perkins made sketches OF
the site and Its surroundings A pile OF
bricks, the remains of the oycrscer's house,
built thirty years after Washngton's father
removed into Stafford county, was the most
noticeable trace OF the early buildings.
The site OF the house In which Washington
was born was located about two hundred feet
distant, nothing remaining but an almost IN
distlngulshable mass Of debris. few hg
trees grew near by. From his field sketches
Mr. Perkins designed memorial structure, TO
a pointed roof. u. A. Sinclair, chief Of the
consular bureau, was dispatched TO the spot to
10 secure the site OF the historic homestead by
purchase from It's present possessor, John y,
" ilson, whose wife 10 defendant OF tho
common ancestor OF the WashingtOns OF the
"Northern Neck.n In 1853 Col Lewis W.
Washington granted sixty feet square TO the
state OF Virginia. A year later John u, Will
son, the present owner Increased the area by
donation OF two acres. Through the negotia-
lions Of Mr. Sinclair, the area has been extend.
cd to twenty acres, which were purchased for
$500 The state Of Virginia also released Its
right to the actual Site and also granted the
right of eminent domain.
All that Is now left for the governmc' : 10
do is to occupy the property and go on With
the work. The first step viii be the Enclosure
OF the tract and construction OF wharf, for
which Secretary Bayard has asked authority.
The Perkins design aud contractors plans
have been turned over to Col. John NJ. Wilson,
engineer In charge OF public buildings, await
Ing instructions looking to their execution on
the grounds.
The Potomac at the mouth Of Bridges creek
widens into a beautiful estuary. The birth
place Of Washington, which was low, one
storied wooden building OF the primitive CO.
| lonal style Of archit ect,irc, stood on an elc-
waited plateau overlooking the exhaustive
bosom Of the Potomac and the hills OF Mary
| land In the distance on the opposite side OF
the shore. The site OF the historic homestead
| and contiguous ground acquired Dy Tue gov
| eminent takes In the peninsula formed by the
creek and the river, and for It's landward boun,
| Diary has the road The memorial building
will be plainly visible from passing steamers
plying between Washington and Fortress
Monroe and Baltimore. II will consist OF sim
pie outlines but with richly ornamented
front. II will have a granite base, sandstone
table, columns OF the Cornthian order, arches,
and coping, walls Of brick and covered with
diamond. shaped tiles and terra.cotta final and
hips. The massive door will be OF bronze.
In the transom will be bronze eagle and
above the arch an appropriate inscription
| The interior will be paneled in wood A vault
will contain the remains Of two uncles and an
aunt OF Gen. Washington, which lie In an
abandoned family graveyard in COW pasture
near by The much-defaced slabs VIII be
placed in the walls A table opposite the
door will contain the inscription George
| Washington. Hie natus; ubique noust."--
Washington Cor. Philadelphia Times.